Action research
Action research is any systematic inquiry conducted by educators for the purpose of gathering information about how they teach, and how their students learn (Mertler, 2014). The purpose of action research is to make decisions and to solve problems. The basic process of action research consists of four stages which are planning, acting, developing and reflecting. Action research includes qualitative, quantitative, mixed-method (Mertler, 2014).
Traditional research
Traditional research was conducted by researchers. Traditional research involves investigations or experiments aimed at discovering and interpreting situations. Traditional research focuses on conclusions and results in order to advance knowledge in various fields. Traditional research includes qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method (McMillan, 2016).
Action research VS Traditional research
Action research:
Purpose---making a decision. Focus on improving practical problems in various fields
Context---research questions derived from the practice
Data analysis---pay attention to practicality
Sampling---participants with whom they work
Traditional research:
Purpose---draw conclusions based on previous research
Context---research questions mainly focus on comparing the outcomes
Data analysis---quantitative data analyzing focus on comparing the statistical significance
Sampling---random sampling
The process of action research
1.planning stage
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Identifying and limiting the topic
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Gathering information
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Reviewing related literature
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Developing a research plan
2.Acting stage
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Collecting data
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Analyzing data
3.Developing stage
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Developing an action plan
4.Reflecting stage
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Sharing and communicating results
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Reflecting on the process
Mertler, C. (2014). Action research: Improving schools and empowering educators (4th ed., pp. 1-324). Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications.
The process of educational research
1. Propose research topic
2. Identify the research problem
3. Review literature
4. List research questions
5. Explain method and research design
6. Collect data
7. Analyze data
8. Analyze results and findings
9. Conclusion and recommendation
Qualitative
Qualitative method is used to obtain some narrative data such as opinions and motivations. Qualitative data can be collected by focus groups, individual interviews, journals, and observations. (Mertler, 2014).
Qualitative data analysis techniques: coding scheme, content analysis.
Quantitative
Quantitative method is used to obtain some numerical data. Quantitative data collection includes surveys, questionnaires, and rating scales, checklists, tests (Mertler, 2014).
Quantitative data analysis techniques:
1. Descriptive statistics: central tendency (Mean, Mode, Standard Deviation), frequency.
2. Inferential statistics: t-test, ANOVA, chi-square test
Mixed-methods
Mixed-methods research involving the collection of both qualitative and quantitative data.
Sample work
ETEC543 Program
In the ETEC543, my group members and I conducted action research about getting parents more involved with their kindergarten students' homework using a PowerPoint as a technology tool. The PowerPoint was posted on ClassDojo at the beginning of each week and there were 15 parents that were connected to ClassDojo. However, there are several reasons that lead to parents not helping their students complete their homework by following the directions, which includes educational level, busy time and lack of patience.
ETEC643 Program
In the program, I chose 12 Chinese students who prepare the TOEFL test in the USA. Then, I designed that using the time of the app for the participant, such as 2 hours each day. In the research, I used mix-method design, both quantitative and qualitative methods.
Thus, the research questions are：
1. Does use the Xiaozhan TOEFL app improve Chinse college students' TOEFL reading?
2. What is Chinse college student’s perception of using Xiaozhan TOEFL?
Reflection
According to the understanding of ETEC543, I learned what is action research and the process of action research. I also learned qualitative data collection and quantitative data collection in my research process. Moreover, I learned how to write a professional action research paper. There are several key components within action research, which includes the research question, data collection, and data analysis. This is my first time to write a professional action research paper, the paper has some limitations. In the future, I will conduct more action research to improve my performance.
According to the ETEC643, I learned what is educational research and types of educational research. I also learned how to analyze the quantitative data and qualitative data in my research process. In addition, I start to do my educational research and design it for the first time. In the ETEC643, I have the educational research related to the effectiveness of the TOEFL app to help Chinese students to increase the TOEFL exam score. Then, I according to the pre-test and post-test, and interview to collect and analyze the data from the participant.
Reference
Mertler, C. (2014). Action research: Improving schools and empowering educators (4th ed., pp. 1-324). Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications.
McMillan, J. H. (2016). Fundamentals of educational research (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. ISBN-13: 978-0133579161.